Tales of Woe
by nothingmoreridiculous
Summary: Twilight drabbles, the good and the bad. Be wary; anything is fair game. NOW COMPLETED!
1. Day one: Butterscotch

The first of many- Be warned.

**Disclaimer:** I- L.M Wilson- do so solemly swear that none of these charecters are mine. But for the record, if you couldn't figure that out on your own, I'm laughing at you right now.

(Who _reads_ those things anyways??)

* * *

"Day one:_ Butterscotch…"_

"Day Three:_ Amber…"_

"Day Six:_ Ocher…"_

" Day Eight:_ Clouded gold…"_

"Day eleven:_ Dark gold…"_

"Day thirteen:_ Brown-gold…"_

"Day Fourteen:_ Black…"_

"Day Fifteen: …_Absent…"_

Bella sighed and looked down at her notebook. She'd been keeping track of Edward's hunting cycle for the past couple of weeks. Not for any real reason besides curiosity and boredom, but she had. For Bella, it was interesing to be able to learn even the smallest thing about her vampire boyfrien and his large, closely knit family. They were- after all the stuff of myths.

It had mostly seemed to be a pointless attempt, but it had illuminated one fact that -for some reason- struck her oddly: Because he was around her, Edward got hungrier, faster.

She twirled her pen in hr hand and glanced over at the god-like vampire next to her. As if he sensed her stare, he looked up as well and flashed her the special crooked smile he reserved especially for her. Bella smiled back, feeling her pulse speed up as it always did. after studying his dazzling eyes for a moment, ahe looked back to her paper, holdidng her pen carefully:

"Day one:_ Butterscotch."_

* * *

_( FIN!! Oh but be afeared by little friends, I shall be BACK!!!)_


	2. Red Koolaid

Ah-HAH! The second of the many I promised! Be afraid my little readers- be very afraid!

Disclaimer: Noting strange, bizarre, or in any way supernatural has occured between when I wrote the first chaper and now, so I am still not Mrs. Meyer.

* * *

**Red Kool-aid-**

Seven pairs of gold eyes watched her with an odd look. Bella shifted uncomfortably and looked back at what she was doing. Emmett leaned in a little, for a better view, and Bella blushed nervously, dumping more red powder into the glass, watching it swirl to the bottom, the stares of her boyfriend's family boring in to her back

It didn't matter how much she loved the stuff.

She was never,

_Never.._

Ever _Ever_ making red Kool-aid at Edward's house again. Apparently, the thought of they're human friend drinking a blood-red liquid was even more fascinating than the rest of her diet. Esme leaned in slowly, no doubt trying to be inconspicuous. 

It was _not_ worth the looks.

* * *

A/N: Is anybody else scared of the Kool-aid man? Seriously… He busts open walls and expects people to drink his brain-juice... thats weird man... 


	3. Snow Angel

**A/N:** Bleh- another shorty, slight angst…- Bella muses on Edward and the snow. This is a few months after he eaves her- around the Christmas Mrs. Meyer excluded. (Which is good for me, because I can decide what I want her Christmas to be like on my own!! )

* * *

Bella stood outside, letting the fresh snowfall flutter down over her. She wore appropriate boots for this weather, but her flannel shirt and jeans could certainly b thicker. Charlie was at work today though- and it was Saturday, so no school, Ben and Angela on a date- Mike and Jess still not talking to her… No one to notice that she was standing in the snow. But that was just how she wanted it- the snow was pure white and bitterly cold-

'_Like his skin…'_

**He** that person- that gorgeous man who's name she was not allowing herself to think, who's face she should not see, not even in her mind's eye. _His_ skin was just like the snow falling around her now- (Except maybe for the smell…)- Just like the snow- it was smooth, and strange feeling beneath her hands- there had been a time when she though it was possible her skin would be soft and cold and strange too- but that was gone now.

That had melted away with him, along with her heart, along with her soul. She supposed, that one little irony getting too hr just enough to squeeze a dry smirk from her chapped lips. She supposed that was the one, last way _he_ was like the snow.

He melted away, forever.

* * *

Bleh again.. I did say short people... Oh yes, expect I think... three... more one-shots comeing up shorly, as stand-alone stories, not drabbles, mind you...

... Oh yes.. almost forgot...

REVIEW!!!

Serously people- I need more feedback on this stuff!!


	4. Boys will be boys

**A/N:** Waff. Pure waff.

When Edward slipped into her room that night, h knew immediately something was wrong…

Very, _Very _wrong.

Bella was lying in bed, for one, not waiting up for him, like she usually did. She was unnaturally warm, and her pretty, pale face was covered in a light sheen of sweat. Her slim features were twisted up in pain, and –though he knew she was not asleep- she was lying so still, and her eyes were closed tightly.

"Bella! He whispered frantically. "Bella! What's wrong!" He gently tried to pry her arms away from hr middle- he knew she was bleeding at least a little- his nose told him this much at least, but darn it! He couldn't _find_ the wound.

She mumbled something he couldn't hear (in other words- she didn't make any noise) and it only added to his anxiety.

"What? Be coherent Bella, please! I need to know."

"I _said_-" Bella ground out through gritted teeth, opening one eye to glare at the worried vampire moodily. "That I'm on my period, and I'm cramping and to _please not poke the organ that hurts_!"

Edward's eyes opened wide, and he jumped away, as though scalded, muttering wildly, and Bella knew that if he could blush he would. Seconds later, he was gone.

Bella lay back on her heating pad, smirking slightly at the one hundred and ten year old's reaction to such a simple thing. Sometimes she forgot, that- for all his years of life- he was still a seventeen-year-old boy at heart, and a very _very _modest one at that.

"_Boys will be boys- after all."_

_A/N: _Longer, I think. And defiantly funnier- tell me what you think please!!


	5. It was yellow

A/N: Re-reading New Moon, has anybody else noticed that Edward promises Alice a car? Hmmm…. Ay else wondering what Alice would DO with said car? After all, if the humans saw it, it would be terrible… Sooooooo…

* * *

I can't believe I got her that car. I really can't. I know that if I had been coherent when she made her request I would have done the sane thing, but as it was, when she asked me for the dang thing I was just so relieved to have my Bella back I wasn't really thinking through all the possibilities of what could happen if I actually _got her that car_.

It was yellow, it was fast, and it was practically the definition of conspicuousI never should have let her drive it off the lot. But you know that little voice in the back of your head that's supposed to tell you when you're doing something stupid?

Mine is defective.

So I got her the car. And now she'd have it for the _rest of eternity_! Meaning I'd have to put up with _this_ for-

VROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!

I slammed my hands (not too roughly) onto the keys. It was impossible- as long as Alice insisted on racing her new, yellow 911 Turbo around and around the house, all hope of composing was lost. If not for the distracting sound and smell of the car, her euphoric thoughts alone were enough to do my inspiration in.

"Your not alone brother." Jasper gasped out, clinging to the stair banister.

"Too many emotions?" I asked, trying not to laugh at the sight of an apparently sea-sick vampire. He moaned again and nodded.

"Well… she has to stop some time….. "

"Or at least run out of gas…"

"Right..?"

VROOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!

"_Dear God help us."_

* * *

A/N: Fin!! Haha… I like this one… ok! Tell! Tell!


	6. Hot

A/N: Haha… its really hot outside, and it made me think of this—tell me what you think!!

* * *

Hot…

Hot…

I stumbled around blearily, flopping onto my bead, pushing my blankets around, looking for something….

Who knew summers in Forks were so _hot_!? And why hadn't anyone warned me? _"Of course, Alice, Emmett, Jasper and Edward can't really tell temperature too well—so they might not even know…"_ but it was still to hot, I decided. Not in the mood to be reasonable.

"Edwaaaard… Don't laugh… its mean."

And he was indeed laughing at me, His tousled bronze hair glinting in the lamplight, eyes full of merriment. I loved him like this—granted I loved him no matter what, but like this especially.

"I can't help your hot Bella."

"Stinky."

This coaxed another laugh from him. "What would you like me to do then?"

I considered for a moment, then: "Come here." I watched him cross the room to me with soft, swift steps. The sit on the edge of my bed.

Hot….

Hot…

I twined my arms around his shoulders, and pulled his stone body against mine. The touch of his cool skin was instant relief- like being doused in wonderfully icy water.

"Ahhhh…"

He just laughed.

* * *

A/N: Vague, unimportant, a true drabble ne?

Now, appease the beast...Click the button!!!


	7. Sometimes

**A/N:** Haha! _Two_ in _one_ _day_! – Is proud of self – A look into Jasper's mind, slightly dark.

* * *

He knows that he and his family is unnatural—he knows that his wife, his lover, his _life_, is unnatural. But sometimes he finds it hard to believe that someone so vibrant could be dead, was his Alice really so different from Bella?

Yes—Bella had a pulse-- Bella was not fanged.

And sometimes he forgets that they are _technically _not 'people', and he allows himself to analyze they're relationship from a normal perspective, but only sometimes…

Sometimes he wonders what would have happened if he hadn't listened to her when they'd met.

Sometimes he wonders _why _she made so much sense to him, then when nothing else could.

And sometimes he knows that she loves him.

Sometimes that's enough.

* * *

**A/N:** AHHHH! Angsty Jasper!!

… Oh…my… goodness…

I need a beta… -- Sob Sob -- Yes.. I made the mistake of reading my own stuff….

OFF TO CORRECT!!! (Oh yeh… REVIEW!!!)


	8. Author's Note

Prepare yourselves, for this is the **_Author's Note of DOOM!! _**

****

As of now, I am officially putting _ALL_ of my fics on hiatus. Does this mean I have forgotten about Twilight, Inuyasha, or any of the other FF categories for which I write? Certainly not. Does this mean no longer care for writing and/or fan fiction? Now please, lets not be absurd people! This means that I cannot think of anything; Writer's block had hit me with crippling force due- in part- to personal issues I can't quite explain. Please do not give up on me; I will write while and when I can, but know I am taking a breather at the moment.

Thank you for your cooperation and consideration for my plot-bunnies current state. I promise to hurry my butt up and get insane again, so I can continue posting.

Thanking you again—

-- L. M. Out.


	9. Eyes

**Disclaimer: **I am not the author of these wonderful books- And if you've read this far, and you still think I am, then I flattered, but your nuts.

* * *

She had seen blue eyes, so clear and perfect that they swamped her, and drew her under, so gorgeous behind a celebrity's perfect hair and pixilated, air-brushed mask. She had seem melt-in-your-mouth brown, deep and sexy, the kind of eyes that made you want to fall over and sigh, looking out at her from a close-up CD cover. And she had see green eyes, smoldering, captivating and fierce, on the face of the stylishly dressed male model.

But she had _never_ seen an eye color quite like gold. Gold had all the sexy, gorgeous, captivating, and smoldering properties of all three in _one_- and gold wasn't just a picture- but most importantly of all-

Gold was hers.

* * *

**A/N:** Inspired by my background- it's a beautifully drawn black-and-white of Edward with these amazing golden eyes-It was e-mailed to me by a rabid-Edward-fangirl-friend; I didn't draw it, but I seriously envy whoever did (Kudos to you! It's amazing!).

And I really don't know how Bella resists that boy! I'm ready to marry him just looking at a _drawing_! XP

Clicky the button!!


	10. The Sun or the Moon

**A/N: **Man.. I've had a big Twilight spree lately, haven't I? I think it's because of _Eclipse_. And if you haven't already read Eclipse- the GO! Quit reading my chicken-scratch and go observe the master! (Then come back and review! XP)

* * *

_The Sun and the Moon_

She had a choice- it wasn't an easy choice, mind you. But it was a choice that had to be made. The sun or the moon? Day or night? One was pale glimmering perfection- intense and powerful, almost alluring in the danger that surrounded him. The other was totally the opposite; rugged and dark, he had not lived _through_ the ages, but he was born of them, he was ages of tradition and nature combined together in one _huge_ package. So neither one was really 'better' than the other, just different- a_ lot_ different.

Life or death?

It was her choice; marry Edward, and twist together an ending and a beginning and live an extraordinary, and fascinating lie with the man of anyone's dreams, who only wanted her, when he could have all the world- or go with Jacob, loose her eternity of blissful night, and gain instead sixty or seventy years of vibrant, sunny day with a man who loved her totally and unconditionally- days filled with children with dark hair….

It was her choice.

Predator or protector?

* * *

**A/N:** Just musing on the differences between Edward and Jake- they really are like night and day when you think about it; they're both amazing- just in different ways. 

**Ok-- I've decded to move this fic, because when I went back to look at it, it looked alot less ummm... big? Stand-alone-ish, I guess is what I'd call it. It looked too small and short to _not _be under a mass title- so I moved it, but its the same fic!!**

_Go_! Mush! Review!


	11. Tyler's side

**Ok- So we know what Edward was thinking, we know what Bella was thinking, and we know what the reast of the Cullens were thinking. **

**But what was _Tyler_ thinking?**

**He he was the one acctually in the car after all. This is a drabble that will oneday be a fully-fleged fic, but this is the first onr fourth or so. The rest wasn't comeing easily, and I thought I'd put this up as a drabble/teaser/tidbit/prequel uhh... thing. So enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: They h'aint mine peeps. See Mrs. Meyer for that!**

* * *

It started out as an innocent no-big-deal skid. I hit some ice turning too fast, not exactly tragedy material. I let off the gas and covered the brake with my left foot, exactly how I was told, and began to turn in the direction I was going before that senior girl- I _still_ can't remember her name- took my parking spot. I would have been fine, I might've hit the curb, but the lane I was heading towards was mostly empty, I was pretty sure I could void hitting a car.

Two seconds later, I realized how wrong I was.

Isabella Swan was leaning over at end of her truck, apparently looking at her back left tire, and I was absolutely sure I was going to hit her. I hit the brakes harder, and they squealed at the abuse, but I wasn't slowing down fast enough. I saw Bella look up in confusion, not fear; I realized that she didn't know what was happening yet. I remember my stomach clenching in terror- I was going to kill her. My van was maybe two feet from the back end of her truck when she disappeared.

I hadn't hit her yet- I was still moving. She didn't jump; I know that for a fact. She _disappeared_. As in, one second there, the next second, gone. No Bella, and no way it was physically possible.

_It wasn't possible_. But it happened. How?

I didn't get the chance to think about the impossibility of what I had just seen; I had a half-second of relief that I _wasn't_ going to kill the hot new girl, then a spasm of fear when I realized that didn't mean the hot new girl's car wouldn't kill _me,_ And then my chest connected with the airbag, and the world exploded around me.

* * *

**A/N: Ok, so waddya think? Its rough, and its unfinished, but I like it!! **


	12. The Bet

**Disclaimer: Ok- I can't be sued because guess what? I'm not making any **_**money**_** off these characters! I do this stuff for fun, they aren't mine, and my only payment is your much –appreciated commentary!**

**Its un-edited, so be nice!**

* * *

"Oh goodness- you're a terrible example Susan!" Bella frowned at the little black bug crawling up her arm, and swatted it away. And then in exasperation - for another one of 'Susan's' friends was on her elbow- "Is it really too much to ask for some professional courtesy!? Good grief Michael!" And then Michael followed Susan to the great bug trap in the sky. 

Behind her, Jasper and Emmett were leaning against each other in an attempt to keep walking while doubled over laughing. "_Professional_—_C-C-Courtesy_—" Emmett gasped out between laughs. Bella had been reprimanding the little bloodsuckers for almost an hour and a half, much to Emmett and Jasper's amusement.

"Can't you control your bloodlust even a _little_?" She was now beseeching another little bug, perched on her hand. "You can conquer this you know- I've seen it done- there is hope!" Alice, also in fits, clung o Edward, who was trying (and failing miserable) not to smile. "Eternity just got a whole lot more interesting!" She exclaimed, in a temporary lapse in laughter. "Only you could find someone like her Edward!"

Walking up ahead of Bella and her vampires, Quill called out n irritation. "_Fine_. I take it back! The blo- _Cullens _aren't mosquitoes!" He did not turn around, so great was his irritation, so he missed Bella's triumphant whisper of _'I told you I could get him to take it back' _and Emmettstill in hysterics,passing her a ten.

* * *

**A/N: LMAO! Much fun! Oh—It doesn't really matter where they're going..**


	13. Jumped

**A/N;** I got bit by a stinkin' plot bunny. Don't ask me what it is about ancient Mesepotamian cultures that makes me think up thses random things-- I swear writing fanfictions is giving me a complex.

**Disclaimer:** I really don't know why I still put these things- ME NO OWN!

* * *

Jumped.

Not fallen, or stumbled or tripped or blundered, or slipped. _Jumped_.

She took her own life- it wasn't an accident, and it wasn't a mistake. She had driven herself to that cliff, and thrown herself off it. My emotions were flipping through anger to sadness to denial to numbness, to refusal, so fast the lines were blurring in my mind- going into emotional overload. But though the haze, one word kept repeating, a mantra of pain.

_Jumped, jumped, jumped…._

With each word, the pain in my chest built and began to throb.

Dead.

I vaguely registered a ringing trashcan thirty yards or so behind me, and I realized a second late that my cell phone was making the noise, not the bin. Someone was calling me- or rather, trying to. The ring was replaced by a Spanish murmur that I did not care to understand. A voice was speaking urgently on the other end, but I could not make sense of what they were saying- I was too far away now.

…_Dead, dead, dead, dead…_

All thoughts of the ringing trashcan were pushed from my mind by the waves of pain. Why would a trashcan ring anyway? I must have imagined it- besides, musical inanimate objects were no longer of any consequence, nothing was. My world was now irreparably black…empty. I was not blind to my world; my world was simply gone- there was nothing left for me to see.

I was Icarus, not Romeo. That was now painfully clear. I had wandered too close to the sun- a sun I did not deserve, and I was being punished.

I would never fly again.

* * *

**A/N;** Dang, I hope thats how you spell Icarus...


	14. The Arrogant Pighead, as told by Rose

**A/N: **Ok- I decided to try and do something form Rosalie's POV- I've already tried Edward, Jasper, Bella… I thought I'd go for a new angle—Rose is a lot different form those three… I think it might be fun.

**Disclaimer:** Well- by now, is their really any point? Goodness- they're not mine!

* * *

"Alice… _Alice_!!" I turned sharply to look back at Jasper, kneeling over his tiny, slightly annoying wife. His long hands gripped her shoulders tightly, is face drawn and anxious.

"Alice- what's wrong."

How could he wonder? Her eyes were wide, her face blank. One would think by now he would know what a vision looked like when he saw one.

"Edward…" She still wasn't quite in out world yet, but the vision must be ending- she was able to speak coherently. I gave Emmett a significant glance- Jasper always responded better to his brothers in time of stress- a 'male-bonding' thing I suppose. Emmett nodded at me, and placed one strong hand on Jaspers shoulder, male affection at its greatest.

"Edward—" And Alice was abruptly back on planet Earth. Though she was clearly panicked. "Edward! No!" I jerked around to face my brother- waiting by the car like always- worry clawing at me. If Alice saw it, it can't have happened yet- maybe we could still protect him maybe--

Then I heard the telltale click of bad breaks cutting out and a forbidding squeal of tires, my mind reached the conclusion before my eyes were done taking it all in; someone had gone into a skid. Next to me, Emmett had reached the same conclusion, just as quickly as I had. Of the five of us, Edward Emmett and I were the best with cars, and I was better than the two boys by a little and then some. I was proud of my handsome husband for catching it ahead of me. If I wasn't careful, he might catch me in the automotive-knowledge trivia game we'd been playing for the past few decades.

Emmett I was proud of, happy with. Edward, on the other hand, was in some _serious_ trouble.

_Stupid __**arrogant**__ jerkish __**moronic**__—_I didn't care if he was listening, actually, I _hoped _he was- he was supposed to know better than this!

I watched him dash across the black top with ire that rose so fast Jasper flinched away as though physically scalded. _What. Is. He. doing!? _My mind screeched anger louder than what's-his-name's tires. How could Edward do this to us? After all he said, all the promises he'd made! We all watched his rapidly disappearing back, and I could tell- though they'd never show or admit it- they were as worried and angry and disgusted as I was. He had promised. He had given his _word._

He would break that, over some human?

"Don't worry Rosalie!" Edward snapped, finally feeling the strain of my badgering. "I won't do anything rash! You should know that by now, I wouldn't over react."

_Always too clam, always too composed. That arrogant bastard, no way I was letting him off too easily on this one; "So running of to Alaska was what, exactly?" He scowled at me, and I smirked. What was he going to say? Troubled teens run off randomly to other states all the time when they were upset? Not even Edward could make that sound feasible._

"_That was an overreaction." He qualified snippily. "But I won't over react any more; I know how to handle my self around her now."_

"_So you promise not to lose it over this human?" I demanded severely. I wanted it in a concrete, undeniable sentence; at least then if he lied I could harass him for it later._

"_I promise. I will not overreact."_

Hah. Not overreact my _foot_.

I looked over to the girl. I knew Edward would make it to her in time, (how could he not?) The main point now was that she not notice that he was doing something both totally unexpected, but also completely impossible. But her face revealed nothing. Only shock, fear. And of Course she felt those things, anyone about to be crushed to death would feel those things, regardless of weather or not a vampire was dashing towards them at impossible speeds.

Yelling at him to stop would do little onto nothing- Edward listened to none one when he thought he was right- so I settled on glowering and very angry thoughts. I hated feeling helpless- especially when it was to him.

I watched him, grinding my teeth, as his long body unfolded in half a second and went flying through the air, his long body collided with hers, with that... that… _child's_- and they flew behind some other car.

I was absolutely going to _kill him_ for this.

* * *

**A/N:** Well- _that's_ longer than a drabble- Its not my fault, Rosalie never _shuts up_ people, she's too much fun to write with, and she's pretty funny too- I couldn't help myself-- I plead insanity.


	15. Can you feel the love?

**A/N;** I might have a beta! I might have a _beeeeeee-tah_! Yaay! Well… _Might_… - Crosses fingers—And I've been an angst streak lately, so I thought I'd lighten things up a bit.

**Disclaimer;** _Sigh_.

* * *

The moonlight cast an almost heavenly glow over the assembled couples. Shattering off the invisible facets in their diamond skin and making them glow with it's light; seven unearthly beautiful creatures of night, sitting out in the meadow-like lawn before they're white haven.

One lone heart beat out a stubborn taboo against the stillness. In the arms of her own stone sentinel, she alone throbbed with life in the utter silence of the evening. One with the waiting statues and totally at odds with them simultaneously, she sat unashamed of her uniqueness, savoring Romeo's icy embrace.

"How much longer?" Bella asked in a whisper, twisting slightly in Edward's arms.

"Soon- very soon." Alice, who was sitting a few feet from them in Jasper's arms, replied quietly. Behind her sat Esme and Carlisle, also embracing, and Nets to Edward and Bella, a few feet back, was Rosalie, perched delicately on the grass beside Emmett, her golden head on his shoulder, his strong arm possessively about her waist. They're finger's intertwined, Bella noted happily.

Esme and Carlisle, 1640,England and 1895, Ohio.

Alice and Jasper, 1843, Texas and 1901, Mississippi.

Rosalie and Emmett, 1915, Tennessee and 1933, New York.

Edward and Bella, 1901, Illinois and 1987, Washington.

Four perfect matches, four impossible matches, eight people who- quite literally- transcended time to be together, despite reality, despite mortality, despite everything.

"Oh." Bella's eyes widened in awed amazement as a bright light- the comet Alice had 'seen' that morning, shot across the sky. Edward leaned in slowly and brushed his lips along Bella's jaw line, murmuring softly; "And I was blinded by her light." Bella shivered.

"Can you feel it Alice?" Jasper leaned in closer to his love also. "Can I feel what?" Alice whispered, never taking her shining eyes off her brother and his Bella.

"The love. Can you feel the love?"

The world was utterly still, and utterly alive that night. Eyes shining and hearts, silent and overactive alike, sang with the joy of loving. And just for that one night everything else, everything bad, went away into the darkness and unconditional happiness- the un Jasper-manufactured kind- filled the meadow.

"Yes Jazz. I feel it."

* * *

**A/N:** Ok, so I'm a sap. At least I'm not a _tasteless _sap. (And you people, who do think I'm a tasteless sap, do me a favor, hush.) I happen to really like this one. Its one of my four favorites on here, also- I will probably be changing the title of this fic and the title of _Being the Beast_, so don't freak on me if one day it changes randomly, it is still the same story.

And possibly be expecting an update of BTB- one is in the works, and almost finished.

This is all.


	16. To protect her

At first, all I could taste was the warmth of her. The warmth of her skin, her blood, her body… perhaps her soul, It took a few seconds for the blood to begin to sear my throat, a few seconds of strange silence that was almost… calm before it began to burn away my resistance to her. It took a few seconds for me to _taste _anything at all, really, as though my mind was in shock that I would break the solemn vow I made to my father and to myself.

But my mind was sharper than that, it caught up quickly; her taste hit me like an explosion, ripping my mind from me, pulverizing all senses but those that sought to torment me, to undo me.

My fear for her life was snuffed out by the wave of pleasure at the taste of her blood. My cool, granite like hands held hers in place as she tried to rip the gory appendage from me. Her scream cut deep into me, into my black sinner's soul, but my mind- the monster-was beyond caring.

I continued to take, and take, blissfully unaware- for the time- of the potential cost of my actions.

Soon the bitter tang of foreign venom left her blood, and I was not so far gone that I could not keep my own poison out of her wound; I would not taint her with my own… what? Blood? Was it blood? Perhaps, though only technically, of course; venom being the only real fluid in a vampire's body is, after a fashion, our blood…. I would not taint her with my… _me_.

I knew I would have to release her, and her blood, soon. The monster in me snarled at the thought of being denied in the height of his gluttony. And I felt helpless to stop him from overpowering me. Not even her scream of pain was enough to keep me away from her. For a single, awful second, I truly feared that I was the monster, not just his host, but _him_.

"E'whd?"

_"Edward?"_

_"Son?"_

That whispered word, my name, did what screams of agony what the sound of torture could not. Spoken so softly, so affectionately, so full of trust, I knew- In my heart, I knew- that I could never betray that trust. I could never betray Bella's trust in me.

"He's right here, Bella." But was I?

_"Edward, Let go. Let it go."_Let it go? Easy for Carlisle to say- or rather, think- but the monster was slipping, and another instinct overpowered my desire for blood.

_Protect your mate._

Little more than an ancient whisper in the dark recesses of my mind, it gripped me with the shocking force of an instinct. I lifted my mouth from her wound as the slow, sleepy taste of morphine thickened the blood on my lips. I laid her hand down, gently, next to her body, and brushed her hair from her face. I could not hurt her; I could not allow the monster to hurt her. She is mine, as I am hers.

_Protect your mate._

"I love you," Always.

* * *

A/N; Hmm- How long has it been? Geeze.. Sorry about the random, extended hiatus peeps- I'm not dead! Honest! I came up with this thinking about what them sexy Cullens _mean_ when they talk about instincts… I mean, are they talking' full-blown instincts? Do they only apply to blood, or are we thinking the whole enchilada here?

( I know the dialogue at the ending isn't exact, but I think its understandable for Edward to be a little muddled.)

My own personal ideas on the subject- and an official end to my random sabbatical.

((Is it me, or is the ending a little.. vauge?))


	17. Rings

**Drabbles. Meh, my brain is dead.**

* * *

So many, in different shapes, sizes, even colors! What would have my mother and father have said if they could have seen it, yellow, pink, and _purple_! 

"Have you changed your mind, sir?"

He looked up, flashed a dazzling smile, the attendant was stunned, and he smiled wider for it. '_Dazzled, she calls it'. _Any reminder of her, made him smile. And the true happiness in his eyes made him even more stunning.

"No, No- I just want that one re-set." Presenting her with something so big and flashy wouldn't do at all; she'd be flustered enough as it was. "Alright sir." He didn't like the look of them- '_yellow?' _So gaudy, she wouldn't like it… _he_ didn't like it.

Time past swiftly as he second-guessed everything for the million time over the expensive glass case. Finally, too quickly; he was not ready, they presented him with the smooth, black velvet box. He pocketed it, paying quickly and left, wishing he had Alice's gift, and not his own. His mother's ring was almost too heavy for even him to carry, and he was blisteringly aware of what this would mean. 

After all his night-time soul-searching, the hours he spent wandering his own mind, after all they had been through. This one question threatened to unman him. All paths lead to this conclusion, this universal cliff-hanger.

He dared to speak the words now into the empty street, just totaste them on his tong; _"Isabella Swan, will you marry me?"_


	18. The Morning After

Edward and Bella's wedding night!** Warning;** 'Suggestive situations,' I don't think it's that bad, really, but it's only fair to warn! ( Don't read if you think the romance in _Eclipse_ is too racy.)

Not mine. –Grumble--

* * *

Tears slide down her pale cheeks in growing numbers, drawing the attention of the vampire nuzzling her neck. His exquisite eyes take in the puffiness of her eyes, the drops of liquid on her cheeks, and he is abruptly terrified.

"Bella? Are you alright, love?" His hands slide once more down the smooth flesh of her sides- though with a different urgency than before- as though his long fingers alone could find where she was hurt. "Did I do something wrong!" He hissed I astonishment as the idea struck him, horrifying him more than before, she could tell by the frantic way his eyes widened, by the way his hands stilled abruptly, as though afraid of offending her further.

"No, Edward," Bella whispered, lifting her head to kiss his bare chest, "No, you did- it… was perfect; these are tears of happiness." His jaw soften slightly, appeased, and he ducked his head to kiss her collarbone. 

"I love you, Edward Cullen." Bella whispered in the darkness, savoring the feel of his cool body chilling her's. He smiled against her skin.

"I love you too, _Isabella Cullen_."

* * *

(( I can just _see_ his ego inflating. Can anyone else see the major ego inflation in the last line? Only a few more to go and Tales of Woe is _done_; this will only be a twenty chapter story. So enjoy the end. For it is near.))


	19. First Sighting

_Edward is lying flat out on his back on the carpet, not bothering to try and scrunch his long legs up on his couch. His golden eyes are closed, but I don't think they would match the carpet's golden hue if they were open; something about his tense jaw tells me that he is thirsty. He is humming but I cannot hear anything. His features are twisted in pain, as Edward's so often are._

_Lying next to him is a small person who is infinitely more interesting to me; she is pretty in a subtle way, with brown hair and eyes (her eyes were open, fixed on Edward's face) and pale skin- though she looked almost pink in comparison to my brother- she is nestled close to him, speaking in what is clearly an anxious, hurried tone. Her face is filled with concern traces of old pain mar her pretty brow and I can't help but feel sorry for her unhappiness_

_But this is not the most important part of the vision; the most important part of the vision is her hands. One is reached out on the floor as if to tangle in Edward's bronze hair, and the other is entwined gently with Edwards, her fingers laced amongst his. _

_Movement and images, but no sound, and only blurred color; not definite._

Greenery swims back into focus as the vision fades and I remember that I'm in a forest, hunting with Jasper, Rose and Emmett.

"Alice… sis?"

"_Hello_?"

"Darling?" I re-focus my eyes on Jasper's quietly curious face. He knows what my visions feel like, and he wants to know what I've seen. I can feel a happy smile stretch my face as he watches, but something is bothering me, distracting me from my happiness at what I have seen. Something hovered elusively on the edge of my mind- hadn't Emmett said something just a minute ago? Before the vision took me away? He had been talking, I remembered now; he had been telling us about Esme's slightly ironic position on the Fork's welcoming committee.

"What was that, Emmett?" I ask swiftly, looking around my towering husband. I had the strangest feeling this was important.

Emmett chuckled at my obvious distraction, "Ok space-cadet, if you could stay in the _now_ for a few seconds, I was trying to tell you about the new 'project'." I could tell he was teasing me- beating around the bush deliberately, the stinker- by his good-natured grin.

"What?" I whine, half to play along with my brother's game and half because _I want to know_. After nearly a hundred years of instant gratification in the gossip department, being kept from information is not something I take lightly.

"Someone e-mailed Esme, apparently there's another human moving in, some girl." If I had a working heart, it would have picked up double time at his words. Jasper could feel my sudden turmoil; he put his long arms around me and pulled me against his long body.

_This is important…_

"What's her name?" I can barely speak the words, the excitement is bubbling in my chest, choking me.

"Isabella Swan, why?" I can't answer; for some reason, I suddenly can't stop smiling.

* * *

**A/N;** I know that _technically_ Alice couldn't have known this much ahead of time, but I still think it makes for an interesting drabble.'


	20. Swoon

Hmm... This seems like a good way to end _Tales of Woe_. Enjoy the beginning of the end, folks it's been fun.

* * *

It hurt.

A lot.

Playing ball on Saturdays wasn't allowed because he was supposed to practice his piano scales _a million times _on Saturday, and obviously this left no time at all for games period. But father had gone out to the office late when something 'popped up', mother was in the den sewing next to the radio, and Edwards's friends were making faces at him through the parlor windows.

What could he do?

Small legs hit the wood paneling in a quick, nervous rhythm; _Thump thump thump…_

Of course, he didn't go out to play because he _wanted _to, as he tried to tell his parents; he went out to play ball because young boys must develop strong bodies, and tomorrow was _Sunday,_ which meant no playing. This was his last chance. How could they blame him for a situation that was clearly beyond his control?

But they did. Mother blamed him, Father blamed him, and the doctor blamed him.

…_Thump thump thump…_

Edward sat on the hard wooden bench, holding an ice pack to his swollen left cheek. Mother sat next to him, her tears of panic still drying.

"How old is the boy?' The doctor asked father, who was leaning against the wall. "Seven, as of last month." Father answered in a disapproving voice, giving Edward '_the look'_.

…_Thump thump thump thump thump … _

The little boy hung his untidy bronze head melodramatically, trying to look wounded and repentant at the same time. It wasn't easy with the icepack on his face.

"And what was the nature of the accident? He got hit with the ball?"

"Nuh..." Edward tried to speak with his swollen jaw, "Ah'wst hid wid da _bat_. Ah'wst da 'ump'ire."

…_Thump thump thump…_

The doctor shook his head, trying not to smile at the serious-face explanation. He turned to the worried, irrtated parents."Well your son got off lucky ma'am, sir; his jaw isn't even cracked. But he tore some of the skin a little. It's hardly life-threatening but- well, why don't I show you. Edward, son, take the pack off and give us a smile."

Obediently, Edward lifted the ice away from his bruised cheek and tried to smile. His teeth were still perfectly straight, but his lips wouldn't pull up all the way anymore; his smile was oddly… _crooked_.

He'll probably smile like that for the rest of his life. You friend has a strong batting arm, son."

…_Thump thump thump…_

* * *

**A/N;** And the swoon-worthy smile is born! Haha- I've always wondered how his smile became crooked, and the thought of a misbehaving seven-year-old baby Edward was too cute to pass up!!

Ok, now I've officially finished _Tales_, I will begin to work on _Lions_. Sorry for the uber-long delay, but I am back now, and better than ever!!


	21. News!

**Do you want to follow my updates, but don't have a ff account? **

**Worry no more! All is resolved!**

**L. M. Has a Twitter! :)**

* * *

Just go to; https:// twitter (DOT) com /LWil

I'll put up a note whenever I update something.


End file.
